The Curse of 300 ? Popular Culture and Teaching the Spartans by Emma Stafford Introduction Sparta’s place on the curriculum Receptions of Sparta and why they matter First of all, the teacher certainly does not First, let’s take a very quick look at what it I teach Spartan history at the University have to teach the Spartans. There is a is about ancient Sparta which has of Leeds both as part of an introductory specific Sparta option in the OCR AS Level attracted people’s interest over the years course about the Greek World and also Ancient History, and obviously they have a since the Renaissance. as part of a range of more closely- significant part to play in the ‘Greece and focused Special Subject modules for Persia’ option for one of the A Level units. second and third year undergraduates, In the AQA Classical Civilisation A Level, including Image of Sparta and Classics on the Spartans likewise feature as part of an Major themes in the depiction Screen. I use the film 300, and other option on the Persian Wars. modern popular culture material, in of Sparta different ways in each of these modules: The concept of the ideal state as a subject in its own right for Classics on Screen, focusing on questions around Sparta options at AS and A Level Sparta has often been held up by political what the material says about theorists as a model for its mixed contemporary culture; and, in Image of OCR AS Level Ancient History, Unit constitution in 16th- and 17th-century Sparta, as a coda to the course’s survey AH1 Greek History from Original Europe (see, for example, Rawson (1969, of ancient ‘images’, which allows for Sources, Option 3 (of three): Politics pp. 158-169 and 186-201) and MacGregor reflection back over the ancient material. and Society of Ancient Sparta. Morris (2004)). Blanshard and Shahabudin suggest that OCR A Level Ancient History, cinematic output can be ‘…an important Unit AH3 Greek History: Conflict and vehicle for discussing the values, history, Culture, Option 1 Greece and Persia Austerity, no-frills toughness and cultural politics of the classical past. 499–449 BC and Option 2 Greece in It demands that we think about what are conflict 460–403 BC (Option 3 The Spartan society has often been thought of the key elements that make the cultures culture of Athens 449–399 BC). more generally as a popular model of how of the ancient Mediterranean so AQA A Level Classical to live. This has been particularly marked th distinctive and worthy of study’ Civilisation, A2 Unit 3, Option CIV3B in 18 -century France (see, for example, (Blanshard & Shahabudin, 2011, p. 1). (of four): The Persian Wars, including Rawson (1969, pp. 220-230) and While modern popular receptions of the role of prominent Spartans Cartledge (1999), while the Spartan ancient Greek history are not actually on (Leonidas, Pausanias) at Thermopylae education system was a model for Nazi the AS or A Level specifications and Plataea; set texts Aeschylus’ Germany (see, for example, Roche (2013) (perhaps they should be!), they have Persians and Herodotus Books 6-8. and Hodkinson (2010)). some potential for teaching at this level if a teacher wants their students to get In every case, the Spartans are up Symbol of freedom to grips with the particular topic of against some attractive competition. Why Sparta. then might a teacher want to choose them The Battle of Thermopylae on its own as a topic? has often been held up as a symbol of The Journal of Classics Teaching 17 (33) p.8-13 © The Classical Association 2016. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits Downloaded8 fromnon-commercial https://www.cambridge.org/core re-use, distribution,. IP address: and reproduction 170.106.34.90 in, on any 03 medium,Oct 2021 atprovided 21:16:18 the, subject original to the work Cambridge is unaltered Core terms and isof properly use, available cited. at The written https://www.cambridge.org/core/termspermission of Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2058631016000052 University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work. freedom, of patriotism and of fighting Spartan (1873); Caroline Dale Snedeker, especially, the image of the indomitable against the odds. Take, for example, The Spartan (1911); Naomi Mitchison, Spartan soldier. Richard Glover’s, Leonidas 1737 epic poem Black Sparta (1928) and The Corn King and in 9 books lines 1-11: the Spring Queen (1931); F. Van Wyck Sparta on screen Mason, Lysander (1957); John Burke, The Rehearse, O Muse, the deeds and Lion of Sparta (1961); Roderick Milton, Tell Finally, Sparta has been the subject of glorious death Them in Sparta (1962); Steven Pressfield, numerous films. 300 has made the most Of that fam’d Spartan, who Gates of Fire: an Epic Novel of the Battle of significant impact on contemporary society, withstood the pow’r Thermopylae (1998); Valerio Massimo but it owes an indirect debt, via Frank Of Xerxes near Thermopylae, as fell Manfredi, Spartan (2002); Helen Schrader, Miller’s graphic novel, to the 1962 film To save his country… Are They Singing in Sparta? (2006) and The 300 Spartans directed by Rudolph Maté. Meanwhile, in Revolutionary France, Spartan Slave, Spartan Queen: a Tale of Four The 300 Spartans (Rudolph Maté, Thermopylae acted as a rallying point in Women in Sparta (2007); and Robert 1962) – UK certificate U plays such as Le Combat de Thermopyles, ou Montgomerie, Helot (2008). These are of Plot summary (http://www.imdb. l’école des guerriers (de Tréogate, 1794), variable quality as literature, but all are of com/title/tt0055719/plotsummary): In Léonidas, ou le depart des Spartiates (Guilbert interest as attempts to imagine life in 480 BC, the ambitious, cruel and merciless de Pixérécourt, 1799); and the epic poem ancient Sparta, and as reflections of King Xerxes of Persia invades Greece La Grèce sauvée (de Fontane, 1790s). popular (mis)conceptions of Spartan with his huge army to extend his vast During the 1821 Greek War of history. Pressfield’s novel has perhaps slave empire. The brave Spartan army is Independence Thermopylae provided the been the most influential in recent years, the great hope to free and unite Greece, model for the uprising against the for example recommended to the men and king Leonidas promises to the council Ottoman Turks: thus the second verse of under his command by former US Marine of the Greek States to defend the passage the Patriotic Hymn by Rhigas Feraios captain Nathaniel Fick: ‘If there’s a better of Thermopylae, the only way by land to (1798), translated by Byron as Greek War description of combat leadership, I’ve not reach Athens. However, he is betrayed by Song (1811): seen it. I recognized Pressfield’s the politicians of Sparta and stays alone characters in the men I was serving with...’ with his personal body guard army Sparta, Sparta, why in slumbers (‘Books and battles’, Washington Post composed of three hundred warriors Lethargic dost thou lie? 17/7/05). only. Using courage and great knowledge Awake and join thy numbers More recently still Sparta has inspired of strategies of war, he defends With Athens, old ally! graphic novels and comics. Frank Thermopylae until a treacherous goatherd Leonidas recalling Miller and Lynn Varley’s, 300 (Dark Horse tells King Xerxes a secret goat passage That chief of ancient song, Comics, 1998) was inspired by the 1962 leading to the back of Leonidas’ army. Who saved ye once from falling, film, mentioned below. There are some The terrible! The strong! bizarre elements in the depiction of Major continuities with and Who made that bold diversion Sparta (especially the Ephors and the departures from the ancient sources: In old Thermopylæ, oracle), but other elements follow ancient And warring with the Persian sources. The prequel graphic novel Xerxes • The film is quite faithful to Herodotus To keep his country free; is supposedly the source for the film 300 in terms of plot, and includes several With his three hundred waging Rise of an Empire (2014), although it has Sayings. The battle, long he stood, yet to appear for public consumption. And like a lion raging, Kieron Gillen and Jordie Bellaire’s Three • The night raid on Xerxes’ tent is an Expired in seas of blood. (Image Comics, 2013-14) is a series of episode not in Herodotus, but instead five graphic novels, with the attraction of taken from 1st-century BC Diodorus More modern references to having had an historical consultant in the Siculus. Thermoplyae still occur. The popular form of Professor Stephen Hodkinson newspaper Metro published an article on from the University of Nottingham. • There is a romantic sub-plot: the 18th March 2011 about workers trying to Video games are also worthy of fictional character Ellas follows her fiancé avert catastrophe at nuclear plants in note: including the God of War series Phylon to Thermopylae; their survival Japan, reporting: ‘There are actually 300 (hero: Spartan Kratos, 2005-14); Spartan: provides a small ‘happy ending’ and of them on the site, working in shifts of Total Warrior (2005); Ancient Wars: Sparta suggests an alternative way of life (see 50… Former atomic energy official (2007); 300: March to Glory (2007); Hero of Levene (2006)). Gennady Pshakin said: “They are like the Sparta (2011); and Spartan Wars; Empire of Spartans, standing up against all that’s Honour (2013). 300 (Zack Snyder, 2007) – UK certificate thrown against them.”’ Even this quick overview should be 15 enough to show that ancient Sparta crops Plot summary (http://www.